MacNN Rating:

Price: $150

The Good

The Bad

Live previews occasionally caused momentary hangs

Lack of cataloguing means Browse will not become quicker on successive loads

Thanks to the ever-improving cameras found in today's smartphones and less-expensive DSLR and mirrorless devices, both of whose work can increasingly be seen on popular social networks such as Instagram, more and more people are finding an interest in photography. Inevitably some will start looking for tools that can be used to manage and edit all of their images. While the most ubiquitous product in this field is Adobe's Creative Suite, with apps like Lightroom and Photoshop, it is far from the only option out there. The real question is, can any of the competition stand up to the quality that Adobe has become renowned for providing? Over the past few weeks we have spent some time with the latest version of OnOne's Perfect Photo Suite to test this very question.

Perfect Photo Suite 9 is a collection of seven different modules that provide you with all sorts of different tools for editing photos. The modules include Browser, Layers, Enhance, Portrait, Effects, B&W, and Resize, each which can also be purchased from OnOne as a standalone product. Furthermore, every module also goes beyond the functionality of a simple standalone app, and can also be used as a plug-in for either Photoshop, Lightroom, or Apple's Aperture. While we could easily break out into full write-ups for every module, we instead have decided to highlight the newest features and enhancements to version 9.

When you first open Perfect Photo Suite 9, you are brought into the improved Browse module. Much like in the previous release, Browse pulls together images from both local and internet sources but does not actually create its own catalogue. Many users will appreciate not having to wait while the catalogue is built, giving nearly instant access to photos. Considering the lack of its own catalogue, Browse is still extremely quick to load a library of images, even a large collection of RAW files. Mere seconds after selecting a folder containing more than 200 images, we were able to begin thumbing through everything and start organizing our files with Version 9's new tagging tools.

All photos can now be marked in several different ways, with ratings, keywords, and labels. Two different styles of ratings are built directly into the app, letting you mark an image with a simple thumbs up or down, or a more specific rating out of five. Each photo can then also be identified using any keyword, as well as with one of five color tags. All of these different markings can then be used to filter images, letting you see only what is necessary for the current task at hand.

Another welcome addition to this update is the new batch-renaming utility. After selecting a group of files, the rename tool can be used to quickly create more relevant file names than those given by default. The tool lets users create their own naming scheme which can be based on both custom text and an ascending number system.

Beyond functioning as a file organizer, Browse also acts as a main hub for jumping into all of the other included modules. After selecting an image, you can quickly move into one of the editing tools simply by selecting it from the list of modules in the top right corner. Selecting any of the editing modules will prompt users with a dialog asking if they would like to edit the original image, edit a copy of the image, or add the selected image as a new layer to an existing project. Within this dialog, you will also find a checkbox that enables another one of Perfect Photo Suite 9's new features, Smart Photo.

Like the name implies, Smart Photo is a rather intelligent new feature. Editing photos with this option enabled creates a history of changes, letting users jump back into a project after saving and closing it. When viewing a Smart Photo in Browse, you are provided with a list of all the modules used to create the edit in the right info pane. Any item in this list can then be clicked on and you will be directed to the appropriate module, where all of the effects used to create the image will be brought back in the exact state they were left.

This came in handy more times than we can mention. While testing out the new Noise Filter, we often felt like we found a setting we were happy with, only to come back later and realize it had been overdone. However, since we were editing with Smart Photo enabled, we were able to jump right back into the image, tweak the noise filter, and not lose any of the other edits we had made to the image.

Anyone who has used former versions of OnOne's Perfect Photo Suite will recognize most of the included modules, but may also notice a a seemingly significant change. One of the most popular modules, Perfect Mask, is now strangely absent from the module selector in the top right corner. Thankfully, this is not because it has been discontinued, but instead because it has been directly integrated into Perfect Layers and Perfect Effects.

Within Perfect Layers, you will find all of the previous Perfect Mask tools, as well as a new Quick Mask brush. The Quick Mask brush makes it easy to remove parts of an image with a single brush stroke. Effective at removing backgrounds, all the Quick Mask tool needs to create a mask is one rough brush stroke. It really is surprising how well this tool works -- one rough brush stroke across an area, such as a sky, will generally result in a mask that is only a few minor tweaks away from usable.

Chances are the next step in your photo editing process will be to jump into Perfect Enhance, which contains all of the essential tools for making basic adjustments. The module offers a number of options for adjusting brightness, contrast, white balance, vibrance, detail, or adding vignettes, as well as tools designed to do some of these things automatically. New to Perfect Photo Suite 9 is Auto Tone, which analyses the image and attempts to make sure the levels are well-balanced. In most circumstances, this tool provides a good starting point, but for us was never really a set-it-and-forget-it type option. We found this feature could go a little over the top with dark images, but with a bit of tweaking, generally found a sweet spot to achieve a natural dynamic range, without becoming too bright or dark in areas.

Perfect Enhance is also the place you will find the newly-added noise reduction features. A long-requested feature, it includes three base settings -- Subtle, Moderate, and Strong -- but is not limited to these options. Three sliders for controlling Luminance, Color, and Detail let you customize the filter to every image. OnOne has also included an additional feature that allows noise reduction to be selectively applied to different parts of a photo, such as the shadows or highlights.

The last major new addition that we are going to showcase is the Lens Flare filter, which can be found within Perfect Effects. The Lens Flare filter features two different styles, Lens Flare and SunSpot, which can be used to add slightly different lighting effects to an image. Lens Flare adds a traditional flare, while SunSpot attempts to simulate the rays of a bright sun. Both styles include a number of options for adjusting the overall appearance, including the ability to position the flare or sunspot and to adjust the intensity. We were very happy with each of the styles and the options included, but like all effects, it won't be useful for all images. While lens flares have become somewhat synonymous with "hipster" photography, there are certainly ways to use these effects in other ways. When used sparingly in portrait or landscape images, they can really add a new level of depth and warmth.

Conclusion

As a complete package, Perfect Photo Suite 9 offers photographers a wealth of tools for modifying their images. Unlike some of its competition, it does so in a manner that is easier to immediately understand. OnOne's use of presets and favorites makes it simple to quickly sample hundreds of different modifications that can be used on photos, while still retaining all of the controls necessary to make minute changes. The simple design is further complimented by OnOne's wealth of free educational resources, ranging from quick ideas to complete lectures. If you are want to get into photo editing, but aren't interested in taking the time to learn how to work all of Photoshop's tools, then Perfect Photo Suite is the perfect alternative for you.

Now AAPL Stock: The symbol you provided ("AAPL") doesn't appear to be registered

Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj

Share

Developer602d

Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket

The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]

Share

602d

Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera

Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94

Share

Industry602d

Apple employees testing wheelchair features

New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa

Share

Troubleshooting602d

SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards

SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If

Share

Upgrades/storage602d

Apple's third-quarter results due July 26

Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm

Share

Investor603d

Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users

Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE